publications

CHRISTOPHER LEE: HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS

• Year of publication: Issue 17, August 2015
• Pages:100
• Binding: Softback
• Illustrations: a. cover of article b. Shot of actors c. Film poster

We Belong Dead’s homage to the late actor, Sir Christopher Lee, is jam-packed with both an overview and in-depth analysis of this great British actor’s career. Synonymously linked to the horror genre, Lee’s exemplary portrayals of Baron Frankenstein’s Creature, the marauding Mummy, Rasputin, and, of course, cinema’s greatest Count Dracula, are only a small portion of his oeuvre.

The son of a British Lieutenant Colonel and an Italian countess, Lee entered the acting profession first at Eton, where he trod the boards alongside Patrick MacNee (John Steed from The Avengers) and eventually progressed to bit parts with the BBC. The Second World War put a temporary halt to his career, but after the conflict, Lee found work at Rank’s “Charm School” and then with Hammer Films, where he became – alongside his friend, Peter Cushing – its most bankable of stars.

Across the next forty years, his career saw him undertaking such diverse roles as Fu Manchu in five dastardly adventures, was The Man with the Golden Gun, played both Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft, sang opera, and had newfound fame and a whole legion of new fans with his work for Tim Burton, George Lucas and Peter Jackson.

In 1981, the exploitation filmmaker, Pete Walker cast him (and other horror icons) in his ode to horror films, House of the Long Shadows. Steve’s article discusses how important he was to that movie, whilst also showing that he could work as part of a team. By looking at specific scenes, Steve shows how Lee was the consummate professional, and one that was welcomed no matter what film he appeared in.